Short Story Vocab

bier

(n) A stand holding a coffin or corpse before burial.

cabal

(n) A secret group plotting or scheming together; (v) to form a cabal

coquettish

(adj) (of a woman) Flirtatious in a teasing, lighthearted way.

cuckold

(n) A man whose wife has committed adultery. (v) to make a cuckold of

deprecatory

(adj) Showing disapproval or belittling someone or something.

deputation

(n) the act or state of being appointed; A person or group appointed to represent others.

diffident

(adj) Shy or hesitant because of low self, timid

dispensation

(n) An exemption or release from a rule or obligation.

dyspepsia

(n) Indigestion.

hangdog

(adj) Shamefaced, guilty, or intimidated. (n) a sneaky or despicable person

jalousie

(n) A shutter with adjustable horizontal slats for air and light.

livery

(n) The costume worn by a feudal lord; A distinctive uniform worn by household servants.

macabre

(adj) Suggesting the horror of death and decay. Comprising or including a representation of death

parquet

(n) A patterned wooden floor; also a theater floor area; (v) to furnish a room with a floor

perpetuity

(n) The state of lasting forever; eternity.

petticoat

(n) A skirt or underskirt worn beneath clothing; (adj) of or by women

severance

(n) The act or process of separating or dividing.

svelte

(adj) Slender or gracefully slim in appearance.

vermillion

(n) a bright red mercuric sulfide; (adj) of vivid red

vestige

(n) A remaining trace or sign of something that once existed.